Dr Dolittle

My 10 year old is quite the Dr Dolittle, despite also being the computer nerd of our house.

The next two pics were taken about 3 years ago (before I blogged) when he found a headless Blue Tongue lizard on our driveway that was obviously in the process of birthing 16 babies when it was attacked by its predator (we presume a dog attacked it). 

Buz ran inside and called us out, and there on the ground was Jim, squeezing the remaining babies (5 had already escaped) out of the mothers belly onto the ground. He was squeezing, like you'd squeeze an icy pole up to the top or squeeze a brown banana out of its skin into cake mix…gizzards, babies and all. Disgusting.

A few of the babies were still incased in their water sacs. He broke those too and scooped the little guys out.  Once the babies were safe in a box, he studied the entire contents of the mother, thrilled to find the beating heart. I walked away. Up until that moment:

1. I didn't know Jimmy was Dr Dolittle.

2. I didn't know that lizards were born alive in sacs.

3. I didn't realise how many babies a lizard could have at one time. Truly amazing, no wonder she was attacked, with 16 babies I wouldn't be able to move very fast either.

4. I didn't think it possible that I would use an entire bottle of Dettol on one kid in one day.

Eight babies survived, and lived with Jim for about 2 months until I begged him to let them go.

 Here they are the first night we had them. Jimmy brought them to the dinner table to clean his plate. I may have lost my cool at that point and he put them on the ground to finish off the left over sausage.

….fast forwarding to this week….

On Sunday Jim mistook this (new born) snake for a worm.  He chased my mum around the garden with it until they both noticed the forked tongue and it was flung through the air with gay abandon!

Then on Monday, we spotted a brush tailed possum in the bird house, which he has been madly trying to coax out.

…and the same day, we found a very old owl on the lawn (who we presume plunged to the ground from the gumtrees above). We called WIRES, brought him inside and gave him some water. 

(two wise owls!)

But WIRES never arrived and by the time the big kids got home from school, this wise old thing was as stiff as a board and Dr Dolittle was at it again.

Jimmy got covered in jumping things (don't know what they were, they looked like a tick with wings???) So into a Dettol bath again. Dettol should sponsor him!

"Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what ya gonna get"

Happy weekend everyone

Liv x

When creativity goes berserk

I saw the above FUN on Pinterest last week and saved it for a rainy day, but Sunday morning saw Bear take a tumble and dislocate his elbow, so it came in handy sooner rather than later.

 Once his elbow was popped back into place he was a.o.k, but the Docs words "get him moving it straight away" rang in my ears and this little crafty thingo sprang to mind.

SO I asked the biggies to make it for him. You know…a little play station at Bear's height…..

At this point I didn't care that Bear couldn't reach the top, he was having fun watching them and he could pop the little balls in half way…..but then…..I got distracted…. and came back to find this:

 MY GOODNESS. 

Have you ever seen such an eyesore on someones kitchen door, on MY kitchen door?!?!

I don't know how to tell them it can't stay forever. How do I say that tactfully? 

IN other news…

Bear made "an ocean", then ate a choccie biccie, then….

got attacked by his brother.

Karma returned the love in the form of a head knock to the pool wall:

The bunnies got a new daytime run!

The studio got a new planter box.

…and the dog is now a ballerina.

Over and out 

Liv x

22 babes and counting

(This post is in no way having a go at small families, it is just giving a shout out to "large families" , who, according to the Lotsofkids website, have 4 or more kids. I just scrape in.)

 With that now clear...there was definitely something in the water at my place today. These gorgeous treasures are sporting the cutest of bellies and between them they have 22 babes (+ my small 4). Together we could easily fill an entire classroom, fill a school bus, pack out a footy team and have enough subs for a full rotation. We probably even have enough kids and talents between us to fill a mini olympics team. But most importantly, we are ensuring the next generation will be filled with love and will have the best gift any parent can give, siblings.

Kids from big families may not have the latest and greatest of everything, but they have an enormous amount to be grateful for.

Love is learnt, it is given and it is received abundantly in big families. 

Kids from big families learn the difference between a need and a want very quickly, hopefully growing in the virtues of patience and honourable ambition, making them 'self-reliant self-starters'.

Through interactions with siblings they deeply understand gender differences, personalities, talents and interests, setting them up perfectly for marriage.

Egos are kept in check and laughter is always in the air.

They get constant intellectual stimulation.

Because they are genuinely needed at home, responsibilities ensure they learn to give of themselves, and serve others with love.

They learn to share, and "self" turns to "others". 

They learn patience.

They learn to fight the good fight, and boy do some do it better than others!

They show great emotional intelligence as they are encouraged (and sometimes teased) by their siblings,  boosting self esteem and resilience. 

Life is never boring. It's not always a party, it can be tough going, but it is never boring.

   …and no matter what path they decide to take, they will never be alone.

How blessed I am to have friends like these girls.

Go now,

go and make babies!

Liv x

(*I snigger. My hubby went bed an hour ago)

Bushman's damper

We had a lovely day in the yard yesterday, mowing, always mowing (well not me), pruning the roses (like really pruning…short back n' sides kinda pruning), and watching the hens turn on the rotisserie. 

The kids made damper creations for the fire pit, but just as we were about to put them on the hot coals it bucketed down and we all ran for cover.

The hens were thrown in the oven to make room for the damper (as moving the fire pit wasn't an option and nor was not cooking the damper. So into the carport we (and the rotisserie) went. Not quite the "bushman's" experience we had imagined, but fun none the less. In fact Buzzy asked if we could do it weekly, and a quick "no" was followed with "maybe once a season". 

     Don't ask what they are, cos I'm not really sure myself ?!

We got carried away watching the water run down the street, and they burnt a wee bit.

The weather turned very cold, very quickly.

 Buz's creation on a stick worked out the best (well, second to hubby's loaf)

The hens had to wait, lashings of butter and honey were a must (I may or may not have instigated it?! the next photo will tell all)

Check out the pleasure on Lulu's face, you can almost hear the "Mmmmmmm"

At least I was civilised enough to get a tray. 

The master of damper.

…and then the stupidity began. It never takes long.

By the time we'd finished on the honey dough, we were up to pussy's bow. So we sat for a spot and then went back for round two: the golden hens.

So that was Saturday and today saw us at early Mass, where we caught up with some friends we haven't seen for a while. We talked about their 'cheese making' endeavours and all things home grown. If sustainable living floats your boat, head on over to Jo & Joe's at  http://funkyfrontyardfarmers.blogspot.com.au , they are incredibly industrious, generous with their knowledge and very funny….and Jo has cool cowgirl boots to boot!

After that, we shot over to our first rugby trial game of the season…in the rain. In the torrential rain. 

I even resorted to leaving my shoes in the car and going barefoot! 

And that my friends is it. 

Never let Sunday ruin a Monday as they say, I hope you had a great weekend.

Much Love 

Liv x

a shambles...

Warning, this post will be very disjointed. It's 1:35am on Thursday (yep, you read correctly AM), I've just finished an essay and I need to wind down before hitting the sack. It's been over a week since I last posted and needless to say, this week has been a doozey. I'm really struggling to get uni work done with my gorgeous red-nut friend hanging off me 24/7 and so I've resorted to "all-nighters". 

My aunty has the biggest heart known to man, and never visits empty handed. Knowing I'm struggling with the little guy, she brought over about 4kms of plastic train tracks she found on the curb (TWO massive tubs), and although it has kept him busy, my house resembles the Trans-Siberian Express.

…..I digress

Last weekend, my cousin Matt organised a fantastic Family Reunion at Port Hacking. There was paddle boarding, watersides, cricket, fishing, swimming and plenty of food, drink and laughter. It's always a treat to see the rellies. 

Sunday night saw us all fight for "The King of Muscles" title.

Henry won…

But since the we've been enjoying a  more crafty existence:

(the movie maker)

oh…and the rail (part of it anyway, the other 4 kms are down the hall in into the kitchen)

Righto, It's clocked over 2am, I'm out of here.

I told you it would be a shambles post!

Lights out.

Liv x

Slowing life in the fast lane.

By the fourth child, days filled with the park, play dough and lego sort of lose their allure and playgroup is definitely out of the question. Is that just me, or do mums of multiple bubs feel the same?

For your first child playgroup is a given. You have the little petit miam, "tarnies" and milk bottle in the zip up lunchbox that matches the mini backpack, that matches that pram you paid a trillion dollars for that fits perfectly into your new family car, that matches your handbag, that matches your shoes. You have the perfect child that sleeps, eats, a poohs when he's told, that is "so advanced" even the doctor raises his eyebrows in awe. 

RUBBISH all rubbish.

Then you have number two, and he slides into the trillion dollar pram that is stained and tarnished, playgroup is attended when there is no better offer, the mini yoghurt is replaced by a vegemite sandwich and a bottle of water and sleep deprivation becomes a talking point.

Then number three arrives and playgroup is dumped by 'Lollypop Playland' where you can let them run for a few hours whilst you have a quiet cuppa and devour a trashy mag. When they pop back for 'petit miam, tarnies and milk' you give them chips, juice and a muesli bar, unless of course you invite mum with only one bub, then you know to throw in a bag of grapes and a water bottle. When it's time for school pickup you throw #3 into the $19 umbrella pram, and hot foot it out the door taking another free lollypop as you leave (and lets be honest, sometimes the mag!).

Number 4 then makes his way onto the crazy scene and by this time you're a little older and a little wiser and noise really gets to you. You avoid playgroups and playlands all together, hoping and praying that no one will invite you to anything all week so you can spend an entire day at home with your laundry and the sunshine. Pathetic but true.

(*to my dear friends, don't be offended I LOVE to come over, just sometimes a home day is like liquid gold. You know the feeling, I know you do.)

So earlier this week, determined not to leave the house, Bear and I headed outside for a 4th child "adventure walk" bare foot and pyjama clad (him not me). I wasn't too sure what "adventure" I was going to come up with other than visit the local horses and watch the trickling water from the recent rain weave its way down the rockery to the creek.

But we came across these little beauties and Bear was mesmerised. Convinced fairies were hiding near by, he sat for a good half hour and waited. He searched high and low for the little winged people but to his dissappointment not one came to greet him.

After convincing him that the fairies had gone to sleep somewhere else in the garden, we headed off blind to find another adventure (why is one never enough??)  

We settled on a big bunch of gum nuts for the kitchen and some sweet figs for morning tea (and we may have finished it off with a chocolate frog or four).

Finally after lying down with him, he fell asleep in front of the rectangular babysitter and I headed back to the laundry !) 

(o goodness those wrinkles are terrible, I'm getting old!) 

What do you do to entertain #4 (+) ? 

My gorgeous sister is expecting #6, what a treasure she is, such an inspiration. 

Liv x

Exhibtion weekend

 

This past weekend was  HUGE and I'm totally exhausted.

It really made me see art from a different perspective, from a socio-cultural perspective.

I exhibited with four very different artists, both in style and personality and it became starkly obvious that artists are sensitive souls. Artists, I believe, combine passion, ability, spontaneity, honesty, a sense of adventure and above all themselves to create their art, and it requires a lot of courage and determination to back yourself. 

Creativity requires faith. Faith in your work, faith in your vision, faith in your craft and faith in your creative process.

Over the weekend the five of us had some fabulous conversations about different creative arts and the holistic approach to creating. I just love that creative people don't only stick to one medium, we all dabble in a few. Spinning, crocheting, woodwork, knitting, collaging and photography all got a mention. The most interesting for me was the chat I had with Di about yarns and spinning. Di buys her fleece direct from the farmer, she tests the quality herself and then sends it off to be spun before she creates amazing garments. I learnt so much and just wish I wasn't studying so I could delve into some knitting and crocheting this weekend :(

Anyway, it was a slow Saturday with heavy rain but Sunday saw all the latte-drinking-poodle-walking-Balmainers come to the Watch House for a squizzy and each of us made some mulla and went home with a smile and encouragement.

Thank you to everyone who came and supported me this weekend, it truly lifted my spirits and made this creative journey a little sweeter. 

Liv x